Iberdrola Australia is to build the Avonlie solar farm, a 245 megawatt plant that will be located near the town of Narrandera in New South Wales. The project will generate around 500 gigawatt hours of electricity per year, which is equivalent to powering more than 80,000 Australian homes and avoiding more than 157,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year. Construction work will include the installation of more than 450,000 solar panels and the necessary equipment. Construction is scheduled to start early in the fourth quarter of 2021, with commissioning by the end of 2022. The project will create more than 230 full-time jobs during construction and a large number of direct and indirect jobs during its estimated 35-year operating life.As Australia's obsolete and unreliable coal-fired power stations approach retirement, the national energy market will need significant investment to replace them. Iberdrola Australia's commitment to the construction of the Avonlie solar farm is a further demonstration of the company's aim to meet the long-term needs of the market.In the past two years, Iberdrola has secured investment approval for the Avonlie solar farm in New South Wales and the 320 MW Port Augusta renewable energy farm, and has signed an agreement with TransGrid for the use of the 50 MW/75 MWh Walgrove electric battery, also in New South Wales. Together, these projects represent an investment of nearly USD 725 million (A$1 billion) and will bring nearly 600 MW of sustainable and efficient renewable energy to the Australian electricity market.
Iberdrola Australia is to build the Avonlie solar farm, a 245 megawatt plant that will be located near the town of Narrandera in New South Wales. The project will generate around 500 gigawatt hours of electricity per year, which is equivalent to powering more than 80,000 Australian homes and avoiding more than 157,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year. Construction work will include the installation of more than 450,000 solar panels and the necessary equipment. Construction is scheduled to start early in the fourth quarter of 2021, with commissioning by the end of 2022. The project will create more than 230 full-time jobs during construction and a large number of direct and indirect jobs during its estimated 35-year operating life.As Australia's obsolete and unreliable coal-fired power stations approach retirement, the national energy market will need significant investment to replace them. Iberdrola Australia's commitment to the construction of the Avonlie solar farm is a further demonstration of the company's aim to meet the long-term needs of the market.In the past two years, Iberdrola has secured investment approval for the Avonlie solar farm in New South Wales and the 320 MW Port Augusta renewable energy farm, and has signed an agreement with TransGrid for the use of the 50 MW/75 MWh Walgrove electric battery, also in New South Wales. Together, these projects represent an investment of nearly USD 725 million (A$1 billion) and will bring nearly 600 MW of sustainable and efficient renewable energy to the Australian electricity market.
